Lightning-arrester.



E. W. VOGBL.

LIGHTNING ABRESTER.

APPLIOATIOH mum mm: a, 1908.

Patented May 9, 1911.

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UNITED strA'rEs PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE W. VOGEL, OFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE RAILROAD SUPPLYCOMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

' LIGHTNING-ARRESTEB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1911.

Application filed June 8, 1908. Serial No. 437,216. 1

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE \V. Voonn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Lightning-Arresters, and de clarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to devices adapted to be applied to electriccircuits for protecting the circuits and apparatus therein againstlightning charges which may enter upon such circuits, and it has for itsobject to improve such devices.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the characterspecified which will not be influenced by the surrounding medium.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the characterspecified which may be used both in alternating and direct currentcircuits.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the characterdescribed which shall be simple in construction, durable, and efiicientin operation.

The various features of novelty which characterize my invention will behereinafter pointed. out with particularity in the claims; but for afull understanding of my invention in its various aspects and of itsobject and advantages, reference may be had to the following detaileddescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a lightning arrester arranged in accordancewith a preferred form of my invention; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig.1, the cover plate and securing nuts therefor being removed; Fig. 3 is aview similar to Fig. 2, the insulating disk above the ground terminalbeing removed; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the complete device; Fig. 5is a central longitudinal section; Fig. 6 is a plan view of one of theannular conductors; Fig. 7 is a plan view of a modified ground terminal;and Fig. 8 is a section taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates a base made of a slab ofinsulating material and having any desired size and shape; the materialof the base being preferably marble, slate or other non-inflammablematerial so that it will not be injured under the influence of a highpotential discharge.

B is a ground terminal preferably nonmetallic and of a non-fusible andnon-inflammable character. This terminal may take any desired form, thatindicated being, however, advantageous in many respects. In

the arrangement shown the terminal is made 4 of two parts, a thick diskI) composed of hard carbon or other refractory conducting material and athin metal plate or disk I)". The parts of the terminal are secured tothe base by means of a bolt or screw C which passes through the base andthrough the members b and b. The two parts of the terminal are thereforeclamped in close engagement with each other and are at the same timesecurely held upon the base.

D is a thin fiat plate having therein an opening d large enough tofreely receive the terminal B. The edge of the plate bounding theopening is provided with numerous teeth or points d so that when theplate is laid upon the base so as to surround the terminal B these teethor points project toward and into proximity to said terminal. The memberD is secured to the base, with the terminal B projecting thercthrough,in any suitable manner, as, for example, by means of a pair ofbindingposts E or E.

The plate I) is connected to a binding post F, supported upon the baseat one side of the member D, by means of an integral strip b whichextends downwardly from the member 6' into a socket a in the base andleaves this socket at a point beyond the member D. The socket a ispreferably filled with paraffin or other insulating +material so as toeffect a tight seal about the lead 6 at the point where it passesbetween the plate D and the base member.

A cylindrical housing is built up about the terminal B by means of aseries of superposed rings G, the opening in each of the rings beingsimilar to the opening (1 in the member D. These rings are preferablymade of metal and each ring of a different metal from that in theadjacent rings. By making the rings of two different metals andarranging them so as to alternate with each other no two consecutiverings will be of the same metal and this is the preferred arrangement.least preferable to employ two different metals in the rings as thiswill reduce the danger of fusion of one ring to another under' heavyelectrical load. Metals which I haveffound totbe satisfactory for thispur-- pose are aluminum and brass. s

.In order to present as many discharge points as possible, the inneredge of each ring istoothed or serrated in the same manner aslthe memberThe teeth on the several rings are preferably so arranged that no toothregisters directly with the one immediately above or below it, eachtooth therefore forming a discharge. point independently of every othertooth. This result may conveniently be attained by making all of thebrass rings G alike and all of the aluminum Gl also alike but differingfrom the brass rings inthat when the parts are assembled thecorresponding teeth on the two sets of rings will be displaced from eachother ina circumferential direction a' dis tance half the width of atooth. Therefore, in looking downwardly into the arrester twiceas manypoints or teeth are seen. as there are in any one ring, since the tipsof the brass teeth 9' alternate with the tips of the aluminum teeth gThe rings may conveniently beassembled by providing a pair of posts HQand 'H projecting upwardly from the base, each of the rings beingprovided with perforations h and h through which these posts may pass.

- tions in the rings are so placed that it is only necessary for theworkmen to slip over the posts first a brass ring and then an aluminum,continuing until the pile is complete, in order to be certain that theproper arrangement of the teeth will be produced. Furthermore one of theposts, such as? the post 'H, may be made square or of some I other shapeso that it will pass only through securely together,

the openings 72. and not through the openings It will be seen thatthe-use of the two different metals in the rings makes it very easy forthe workman to properly assemble the rings for, if all-of the rings wereof one metal and therefore of one color it would be difficult for theworkman to avoid accidentally placing two exactly similar rings inengagement with each other, thus destroying the completeness of thedistribution of the teeth throughout the interior of the cylindricalshell.

On top of the outermost ring is placed a disk I similar to the ringsexcept that the central portion is not cut away. This disk orms a coveras it were, so that when the nuts 72. and h are screwed down upon theposts H and H, the rings are all clamped the plate is clamped tightlyupon the rings and the .rings and plate are firmly secured to'the base.The

While not essential, it is at.

The perforathe arrester is able to take care terminal B is thereforeinclosed within a sealed housing so that there is nodanger of shortcircuiting foreign material.

' A thin disk of insulating material K made of mica or the like is laidupon the terminal B before the cap or cover is added, thereby preventingthe cover from being brought into contact with the case the cover isaccidentally bent or crushed inwardly. The member K is preferablyprovided with numerous perforations j so that a discharge can take placebetween the memhers I and B. I

If desired, the terminal B may have its outer face serrated as at b seas'to furnish a large number of discharge points; or, if

through moisture or other terminal in I desired, serrations or. teeth I)may be r0 vided around the periphery of the termlnal as well as upon itsouter face as indicated in the modified form of terminal B" shown inFigs. 7 and 8.

The member B is preferably the ground terminal and the inclosing memberof con.- ducting material a part of the circuit over which the lightningcharge may travel. It will be seen that the arrester may be used eitherin series in a circuit or in multiple. When used in series theleading-in wire is connected-to the binding post E and the outgoing wireto the binding postE'. The

current flowing through the circuit must therefore pass completelyaround the ground terminal through the .toothed rings and, in case alightning charge enters upon the circuit, an extremely large number ofdischarge points between the circuit and ground are provided for it bythe arrester. If desired, another binding, post E may be provided and a.fuse L may be placed between this binding post and the binding .post E.If

of the charging then the fuse does not come into play,

but if the action of the arrester should happen to be insufficient toprotect the apparatus or instruments in the circuit then the fuse willblow and entirely interrupt the circuit.

It will be seen that the arrester may be used both with alternating anddirect currents since normally current will flow directly from onebinding post to the other through the plate D.

I have found that after a low tension cur.- rent has flowed through thearrester for some time an oxid is formed on the aluminum which causesthe aluminum rings to be insulated from the brass rings, therebyproducing a condenser effect. This however, readily broken down by ahigh tension current so that all of the rings become operative to assistin discharging'current to ground.

If desired, the exterior of the rings as well as the base adjacentthereto may be shellacked so as to insure complete tightness of thehousing which surrounds the ground terminal.

While I have illustrated and described in detail only a singleembodiment of my invention I do not desire to be limited to thisparticular embodiment for, in its broader aspects, my invention may takemany other forms as will be evident from the terms employed in thedefinitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is I 1. In a lightning arrester. a groundterminal and a series of superposed electrically-connected annularplates of conducting material surrounding said terminal, certain of saidplates having toothed inner edges arranged in proximity to saidterminal.

2. Tn a lightning arrester, a ground terminal and a series of superposedelectrically-conneeted annular plates of conducting material surroundingsaid terminal, certain of said plates having toothed inner edgesarranged in proximity to said terminal, said plates being made of twodifferent materials, plates made of one material alternating with thosemade of the other material.

3. In a lightning arrester, a ground terminal and a plurality ofsuperposed annular plates surrounding said terminal, some of said platesbeing made of aluminum and the others of another good conductingmaterial, and the aluminum plates alternating with the other plates.

4. lit a lightning arrester, a ground terminal and a plurality ofsuperposed annular plates surrounding said terminal, some of said platesbeing made of aluminum and the others of another good conductingmaterial. and the aluminum plates alternating with the other plates andeach of said plates having its inner edge serrated.

5. In a lightning arrester. a base of insulating material, a groundterminal mounted on said base, a plurality of superposed annularconducting plates arranged upon said base so as to surround saidterminal. a cover forming with said plates and the base a.

closed housing for the ground terminal, and

a conductor passing from said terminal through the base.

6. In a lightning arrester, a base composed of insulating material notreadily fusible, a ground termlnal of non-metallic conducting materialmounted on said base,

and an annular metal terminal mounted upon said base so as to surroundsaid ground terminal, one of said terminals being provided with teethprojecting toward the other.

7. In a lightning arrester, a discharge terminal composed of a series ofsuperposed rings, each of said rings having teeth on its inner edge, anda guide for positioning said rings angularly in assembling the same.said rings and guide being so arranged that the teeth on one ring arecaused to be staggered with respect to the teeth upon the two adjacentrings.

8. In a lightning arrester, a discharge terminal composed of a series ofsuperposed rings. each of said rings having teeth on its inner edge andeach ring having one or more openings for receiving a fastening means,the arrangement being such that when corresponding openings in the ringsare brought into registration. the teeth on each ring bear a staggeredrelation with respect to the teeth on the two adjacent rings.

9. In a lightning arrester. a base of insulating material, a groundterminal secured to said base, a series of superposed rings arrangedupon said base and surrounding said terminal. said rings beingperforated, posts projecting from said base through the perforations inthe rings. and means on said posts for clamping said rings together andto the base.

10. In a lightning arrester. a base of insulating material, a groundterminal mounted upon said base, a series of superposed rings arrangedupon said base and surrounding said terminal, a disk overlying the upperring, said rings and disk having registering perforations. postsextending from the base through saidperforations, and means cooperatingwith said posts for clamping said plate and said rings together and tothe base so as to form a complete housing for said terminal.

In testimony whereof. I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

EUGENE W. VOGEL.

Witnesses:

Var. F. Fnnnnnnnmcn, Ilannr S. GArrnnn.

